Awning center support



July 8, 1941i E. H. sci-MNE` 2,248,414

AWNING CENTER SUPPORT Filed Dec'. 28, 1938 WIE?? f INV ENT OR. f Edward H Schar/e BY' /ff f//4Z`- ATTORNEYS n Patented July 8, 194i ATENT OFFICE AwNnie CENTER snnron'i` Application December 28, 1938, Serial No.1248,089

7 Claims. (Cl.l 156-44) This invention relates to improvements in awning center supports, and more particularly to that type of support where the awning roll is supported upon an endless fabric belt which is rotatable on rollers.

Although the belt type of supports have heretofore been known, there have been many disad` vantages present in the prior supports which itis the purpose of the present invention to overcome. For instance, the prior devices had to be adjusted to hold Aa particular size of awning roll when the fabric was rolled upon it, and when the fabric was unrolled from the awning roll,Y the support having been adjusted for the larger roll was no longer in Contact with the m11 and therefore' either allowed the awning to sag or furnished no support at al1. Furthermore, these previous sup ports were not so designed that the awning roll was equally ysupported between the rolls upon which the endless belt was trained, thus the belt y did notrhave as large a peripheral contact as i might be desired.

By my present invention I have provided a support whereby the entire-support may be rocked to raise or lower the same in relation to the awning roll, making it quick and easy to adjust the same Ato any sized awning roll. Furthermore, the rolls over which-the belt is trained are so arranged and supported that the belt is held under spring tension which increases as the weight of the awning roll increases and where the tension automatically decreases as theweight decreases. The belt always adjusts itself against the roll and at'no time is it out ofcontact therewith.

Still other advantages of the invention and the invention itself will become more apparent from the following description of an embodiment thereof which description is illustrated by the accompanying drawing and forms a part of this specification.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side View of the device of my invention showing the position taken by the awning roll and fabric;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof with certain parts being broken away and shown in section to better illustrate the interior mechanism;

Fig. 3 is a front elevational View with one of the supporting rolls shown in section; and

Fig. 4 is a side View of a fragmentary portion of one of the arms showing the slot formed theref in for the reception ofione of the rollers.

Referring now to the drawing throughout which like parts are designated by like reference characters.

Yeral direction of the end 9.

A wall bracket I is provided and comprises a U-shaped frame, best shown in Fig. 2, having a pair of laterally extending ears 3 through which studs 4 may extend to secure the same to a wall 2. On opposite sides of the frame there are provided forwardly extending members 5 which terminate in ears 6 on opposite sides of the frame spaced parallel to each other. Y

The frame is adaptedto hingedlysupport a cradle which comprises side members 'I of substantially vL -shape, as best shown in Figrl. The side members are each apertured at their upper ends 8 and lower ends 9 to receive rods or pintles Iii and II jOlllnalled in the apertures of the frames and held by cotter keys I2. The pintle II extends through the ears 6 pivotally connecting the frames 'I to the Wall bracket. 'I'he pintles each carries a pulley or roller I3 journalled in bearings, as best shown in Fig. 3. Y

At the angle of the L the member 'I is formed with slots I4 which extend forwardlyin the gen- A roller or pulley I5 carried by the pin I6 is reciprocably journalled in the slot. An endless fabric belt I8 is trained about the peripheries of the rollers I3.

The lower leg of the L-shaped member is provided With an integral cylindrical housing 2U having a bore 2|, one end of which is closed by a wall 22, and which bore is in alignment with the slot I4. A screw 23 is threaded in the end wall 22 being provided with a lock nut 24 for holding thel same in any desired adjusted position. A helical spring 25 has one end secured about the pintle IS, and the other end extends into the bore 2l where it is seated on a guide member 26.`

The guide 2B is provided with a. head 2l adapted to be engaged by the end of the screw 23.

The wall bracket I is also provided at its upper extremity with a forwardly extending lug 30 to which is pivotally connected at 3| a rod or arm 32. y A bracket 33 is slidably disposed on the arm 32 and has a yoke 34 which carries a roller 35. The bracket may be secured in any desired position on the arm by a set-screw 36. s

The device is used in a manner similar to other awning supports, the bracket being secured to the building at some intermediate point below the awning roll so that the awning roll 40 with the coiled fabric 4I thereon rests in the upper run of the fabric belt. The beltis sufliciently loose about the rollers I3 to provide a continuous contact with the lower surface of the roller and fabric.

The upper roll 35 is adjusted to a position above the awning fabric and guards against the In awnings where the roll has a small circumference, the side frames will be adjusted by means of the screw 43 to their outermost position or any intermediate position desired, depending of course on the size of the awning roll.

The awning roll resting onr the belt I8 causes the pulley or roll I5 to be pulled forward inthe slot I4 against pressure of the spring 25, decreasing the spacing between the rolls over which the belt istrained, and thus allowing a greater length of belt -between the upper and forward rollers. As the fabric 4I is rolled upon the roll 4I)L andthe circumference and weight increases, the spring 25'compresses still further allowing the points or connection with the belt and the periphery of the awning fabric to be enlarged, thus lowering y the support for the roll as the roll enlarges, at the same time increasing the spring pressure as the weight of the roll increases. spring pressure is determined by the position of the adjusting screwl 23.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a support which may be quickly and easily adjusted to rolls of various diameters during installation, and that after installation the support automatically adjusts itself to the size and weight of -the roll and; fabric thereon. I-t will alsoA be seen that at no time is the awning roll without support since as the fabric is removed from*` the roll and the pressure decreases, the spring automatically takes up the slack in the belt, holding the belt in. contact with the roll, furnishing ample support for the roll, Y

Having thus describedmy invention I am aware that numerous and extensive departures will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and that although I have described the invention in a particular embodiment thereof, I donot desire to be limited thereby otherwiseithan is expressed in the appended claims and which claims should be construed with the range ofV equivalentsv with which theyare. entitled in viewI of the prior art.

I claim:

i `1*. An awning center support embodying a wall bracket, a cradle hingedly connected thereto, comprising, a -pair of L-shaped members, a roller mounted in said members at each extremity thereof, another roller loosely journalled in said members intermediate the first named roller, a belt trained over the rollers, an awning roll supported thereby and spacedfroml saidrollers, and means interposed between said members-` and the intermediate roller to effect a movement of said intermediate roller for tightening the belt asthe diameter of the awning roll increases.

2. `An awning centerfsupport including a cradle hingedly connected to a wall andY comprising a 4pair of spaced side members, rollers journalledl in saidmembers at each extremity thereof, another roller journalled in said members intermediate the first named` rollers, a belt trained over said rollers, an awning roll resting on the beltl intermediate a pair of said rollers and. in spaced The amount of relatin therewith, one of saidrollers being 75 loosely journalled in said members, and spring means connected to said loosely journaled roller and said members to maintain the belt under tension as the diameter of the awning roll varies.

3. An awning center support including a wall bracket, a cradle hingedly supported by the wall bracket `and comprising a frame having spaced side members, rollers supportedA between said side members at the ends thereof, another roller disposed between the side members intermediate the first named rollers and movable towards one of said rollers, an endless belt trained over the rollers, means carried by the side members and engaging the wall bracket for adjustably positioning the cradle relative to the wall bracket, and spring means` engaging said movable roller to maintain the belt under spring tension contemporaneous theA rolling of the awning fabric onto or from said belt.

4. An awning center support including a wall bracket, a cradle hingedly supported by the wall bracket and comprisingA a frame having spaced side, members, rollers supported between said side members at the extremities thereof, another roller disposed between the side, members intermediate the first named` rollers, an endless belt trained over the` rol1ers, means carried by the side members and; engaging the wall bracket for adjustably positioning the cradlev relative to the wall bracket, one, of said rollers being movable toward one of the other rollers, to decreaseA the spacing therebetween, spring means engaging said movable rollerl to maintain the belt under spring tension contemporaneous the rolling of` an awning fabric ontoor from saidl belt and an adjustable member for varying the,V tension on said spring.

5. An awning center support including a wall bracket having a pair of outwardly extending parallel bosses formedto provide axially aligned apertures, a cradle comprising aA pair of frames, a pin hingedly connecting said frames to, said bosses in spaced parallelrelation to each other, a roller. supported on said pin, saidframe members provided with slots therein, below, said roller, a roller journalled in the, slots for lateral movement thereof, another roller mounted in said frame members and spaced forwardly of the roller disposed in the slots, hollow housings disposed on the sides of said frames in; alignment with said slots andhaving endV walls, adjusting screws dis* posed in said end walls and. extending intothe interior of said housings, a` plugin said housings engaged` by said screw andA a. spring extending into the housing and seatedy on` said plug, the other'end of said- Spring being connected tothe roller in said slots and' urging it away from the forwardr roller, an endless. belt trained over said rollers and, adapted to support anawning roll between the upper and forward rollers, said belt retained under tension by the spring controlled roller during the rolling of the'f'abricv onto or from the belt, said spring controlled roller adapted to be moved against the tension of said spring toallow for an awning roll ofgreater circumference anda pair of adjusting Yscrews carried by saidA framesandengaging said wall bracket to adjustablyv determine the u position of the cradle relative to the bracket.

6. An awning center support including a wall bracket having a pair ofj outwardly extending parallel bosses formed iso-provide axially aligned apertures, a pair offrames joined--togetherby a roller to-form a cradle, said cradle being hingedly supported by the bosses in the bracket, a roller mounted in the forward end of the frames, said frame members formed with slots therein interposed between said rollers, a roller journalled in the slots for movement towards and away from the roller disposed in the forward ends of the frames for decreasing the space therebetween, hollow housings disposed on the sides of said frames in alignment with said slots and having end Walls, an adjusting screw disposed in each of said end walls and extending into the interior of the housing, a spring extending into the housing and adjustably engaged by said screw, the other end of said spring engaging the roller journalled in the slots and urging it towards the end of the Slot, an endless belt trained over said rollers, the upper run of which is adapted to support an awning roll, said belt retained under tension by the spring controlled roller during the rolling of the fabric onto or from the belt, said spring controlled roller adapted to be moved against the tension of said spring to allow for an awning roll of greater circumference, and a pair of adjusting screws carried by said frames and engaging said Wall bracket to adjustably determine the position of the cradle relative to the bracket.

7. An awning center support including a Wall bracket, a cradle hngedly supported by said wall bracket and including a pair of L-shaped spaced parallel side members, a roller rotatably supported between the side members at each eX- tremity thereof, another roller loosely journalled in said members intermediate said rst named rollers, an endless exible member trained over said rollers, an awning roll floating on the flexible member remote from said rollers, spring means supported by the members and engaging the said intermediate roller to hold said roller under tension against said flexible member to prevent undue sagging of said fiexible member at the point of supporting the awning roll when the weight of the roll increases due to the fabric thereon.

EDWARD H. SCHANE. 

